Anti‑inflammatory activities of <i>Gardenia jasminoides</i> extracts in retinal pigment epithelial cells and zebrafish embryos
Jianrong Chen, Gabriel Mbuta Tchivelekete, Xinzhi Zhou, Weizhuo Tang, Fang Liu, Minzhuo Liu, Chenxi Zhao, Xinhua Shu, Zhihong Zeng
Abstract
Age‑related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of visual impairment in developed countries. Inflammation serves a critical role in the pathogenesis of AMD. <em>Gardenia jasminoides</em> is found in several regions of China and is traditionally used as an organic yellow dye but has also been widely used as a therapeutic agent in numerous diseases, including inflammation, depression, hepatic and vascular disorders, which may reflect the variability of functional compounds that are present in <em>Gardenia jasminoides</em> extracts (GJE). To investigate the therapeutic potential of GJE for AMD, ARPE‑19 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or LPS plus GJE. GJE significantly decreased LPS‑induced expression of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL‑1β, IL‑6 and TNF‑α. In the <em>in vivo</em> study, GJE inhibited CuSO4‑induced migration of primitive macrophages to the lateral line in zebrafish embryos. GJE also attenuated expression of cytokines (IL‑1β, IL‑6 and TNF‑α), NFKB activating protein (nkap) and TLR4 in ARPE‑19 cells. The results of the present study demonstrated the anti‑inflammatory potential of GJE <em>in vitro</em> and<em> in vivo</em>, and suggested GJE as a therapeutic candidate for AMD.